Partners
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: An Airshippy fic based on "Ties of Blood". Jiraldan's love for Giovanni transcends even death itself.
1. Chapter 1

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Author's note – This story picks up from Chapter 15 in "Ties of Blood", so you may want to read that before starting this fic.

At first Jiraldan was too shocked to react, but as Giovanni's lips pressed roughly against his, he found himself returning his partner's kiss. Then without warning, Giovanni seized Jiraldan by the hair. The pain made Jiraldan cry out, forcing their lips apart. 

Giovanni, eyes gleaming with amusement, smiled crookedly at the confused expression on the younger man's face. "So, Jiri, you want to be my partner in bed as well as business, do you?"

Jiraldan nodded.

"I figured as much," Giovanni slurred. "I knew you weren't the type who liked women. Smart man."

Even though Jiraldan had wanted Giovanni for a long time, he didn't think it would be right for him to take advantage of his partner's drunkenness – even if Giovanni had made the first move. 

"Giovanni, maybe when you're not so drunk, we could talk…"

"I may be drunk, Jiri, but I know exactly what I'm doing." He pulled Jiraldan's mouth to his again and tried to force open his partner's lips with his tongue.

Jiraldan forced himself to resist. Yes, he wanted Giovanni, but not this way. 

After a brief struggle, Giovanni yanked Jiraldan's head away once more. Fearing his partner's wrath at resistance to his overtures, Jiraldan braced himself. But to his surprise, instead of anger, Jiraldan saw his partner's eyes burning with desire.

"Yes, Jiri. That's it. Fight me. Resist me. It's much more challenging to bed a man than a woman. But far more satisfying."

Giovanni forced himself on Jiraldan once more, this time seizing his partner's head between his hands and mashing his lips on Jiraldan's so hard that he bruised them. Jiraldan grabbed his partner's wrists and attempted to pull Giovanni away.

"No, Giovanni," Jiraldan gasped. "Not like this."

But Giovanni didn't appear to have heard his partner's pleas. "Yes, it's much more satisfying this way. Women are too weak – no challenge at all. But another man…" He kissed the younger man roughly once more. "You're equals. Equals in power, strength. Partners in the truest sense of the word."

Jiraldan fought off another attempt by Giovanni to kiss him. "Giovanni, please…"

Giovanni's face contorted. "What's the matter, Jiri? I can't believe that this is your first time."

Jiraldan shook his head. "No. There was one girl in school, but that was before I knew…and then there were several men here and there."

"Well, what's the problem, then?"

"It…it's just that…how I feel about you…I don't want it to be like this…"

Giovanni's eyes flashed with amusement. "Why, Jiri. Are you saying that you're in love with me?"

Jiraldan nodded.

"I thought you said that you had never been in love, Jiri." Jiraldan flinched as Giovanni raised his hand to his face once more, but was surprised by how gentle his partner's touch had suddenly become.

"I…I didn't know how you would feel about…about me…" Jiraldan stammered.

"Ah, Jiri…it's so much better when love is involved." 

And then Giovanni kissed Jiraldan again. But this time, his kiss was gentle. And this time, Jiraldan returned his kiss fully.

--- 

The next morning, Jiraldan awoke with a start, not expecting to see Giovanni lying asleep beside him.

__

What? How? How did we…? 

And then he remembered.

Their kissing had rapidly become more and more passionate and the two had even briefly engaged in a wrestling match before ending up in bed.

"That's it, Jiri," Giovanni smiled triumphantly as the younger man pinned him to the floor. "Show me that you're in control."

And then Jiraldan understood why Giovanni preferred men.

Power. It was all about power. Giovanni was so used to getting everything he wanted without question that he had, quite simply, become bored. He craved a challenge. 

Women, Giovanni had said, were too weak. No challenge whatsoever. But another man, especially one equally matched in strength such as Jiri, was much harder to control, and thus, more challenging. More exciting. 

"We are so much alike, you and I," Giovanni had told him as they fell into bed. "Rich, handsome, powerful. And now we are truly partners in every sense of the word. You and I are equals, Jiri."

And Jiraldan had to admit that fighting with Giovanni for domination had been exciting, thrilling. Giovanni had intimidated him for so long that all the anger he had felt towards his partner came rushing out. And he swore that Giovanni seemed to enjoy being thrown to the floor.

Perhaps Giovanni didn't want to be in control for once. Maybe he wanted to have someone be in control of him for a change.

Their lovemaking had been powerful, passionate, thrilling. And afterwards, Jiraldan had been amazed to see Giovanni cry.

"The ring, Jiri. I wanted that ring more than anything. And now…it's gone."

Jiri held Giovanni while he sobbed uncontrollably and then fell into a deep sleep.

But now…

Giovanni started to stir.

"Oh…my head…what…?" Giovanni's eyes widened at the sight of his equally naked partner lying beside him. "Jiri?"

"Good morning, Giovanni," Jiraldan said cautiously, wondering if perhaps Giovanni now regretted their drunken encounter.

"So how much did I have to drink last night?" Giovanni asked as he slid out of bed.

"A few drinks. But you said that you knew exactly what you were doing."

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Did I? What else did I say last night, Jiri?"

"That you and I were now partners in every sense of the word."

Giovanni was silent for a moment, trying to recall the previous night's events. "Yes, Jiri. I suppose we are."

"Then you don't regret what happened?"

"I regret many things, Jiri. I regret being drunk last night. I regret losing the ring of Maldiavolo. I regret sleeping with Delia Ketchum and her giving me an ungrateful bastard son. But I don't regret last night."

"Thank you, Gio. I don't regret what happened between us, either."

"However," Giovanni said with a threatening glance in his companion's direction, "No one else is to know about this, understood?"

"I would never tell anyone about us, Gio. But…"

"But what?"

"Will we…will you and I ever…?"

Giovanni leaned over and silenced him with a kiss. "Yes, Jiri. I prefer men who will not let me dominate them easily – if at all. We are indeed equals."


	2. Chapter 2

Their affair continued for many years. Jiraldan knew that Giovanni slept with other women in addition to him, but he knew it was a desperate effort to produce a male heir to the Peccati name since the boy that had destroyed the ring had renounced his birthright. 

"A woman is nice once in a while just for something different, but all they're really good for is producing heirs," Giovanni had told him.

But even though Giovanni had been with other women, Jiraldan knew that there was no other man besides him. And when it became evident that there would be no further male heirs to the Peccati name, Giovanni gave up trying and focused his efforts on training his eldest daughter, Tessa, to become the next leader of Team Rocket.

One afternoon, Jiraldan came into his partner's office and found Giovanni pouring himself a drink.

"Ah, there you are, Jiri. Join me in a drink." He poured another glass of brandy for his partner and handed it to him. 

"Why are you in such a good mood today, Gio?" Jiraldan asked as he sat down in the ornate chair next to the picture window that overlooked the gardens of the Peccati mansion.

"The reason I'm in such a good mood today, my dear Jiri, is that I saw Tessa earlier and she had some rather interesting news for me."

"News? What kind of news?"

Giovanni settled himself in the rococo chair opposite his partner's. "Ah Jiri, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Tessa truly is my daughter."

"What do you mean, Gio?"

"What I mean, Jiri, is that my daughter just informed me over lunch today that she is a lesbian. Has been for several years, as a matter of fact. And she wants me to meet her 'significant other' this Saturday over dinner at Il Cuore. I believe she said that her name was Carrie or Cassie or something like that." Giovanni laughed at the shocked expression on his partner's face. "Why are you so shocked, Jiri? Like father, like daughter - we prefer those of the same sex."

"I…I just can't believe that Tessa is…that she's…"

Giovanni took a satisfied sip of his drink. "Actually, Jiri, it's the best news Tessa has ever given me."

"I don't understand, Gio. Don't you want grandchildren someday to carry on the enterprise?"

"Of course I do, Jiri. I have two other daughters besides Tessa, you know. But that's always been where the problem lies – having daughters means that their children will no longer bear the Peccati name. But Tessa…" Giovanni grinned broadly. "She's my daughter not only in blood but in soul. She told me today that she and her friend have agreed that any children that they have together will bear the Peccati name."

"Children? Are you saying that Tessa and her friend are…?"

"That's why Tessa invited me over for lunch today. She and her friend are planning on having some kind of commitment ceremony or whatever they call it when two lesbians get married, and she want me to walk her down the aisle next month. Oh yes, she also told me to tell you that you're invited, of course."

Jiraldan continued to stare at his partner. "I still can't believe it."

"And now I will have grandchildren that will bear my name and the Peccati lineage will continue. My mother, God rest her soul, would be so proud of Tessa. She reminds me so much of her."

"Tessa will make an excellent Madam Boss someday, Gio. You've taught her well."

"Speaking of which, Jiri, that's something else I want to discuss with you."

"Discuss what, Gio?"

"Jiri, if something ever happens to me, I want you to help guide Tessa in running Team Rocket. You know the intimate workings of the organization as well as I do."

"If something ever happens…Gio, is something wrong? Are you ill?"

Giovanni shook his head. "No. But I am sixty-three years old now and some days I feel as my age is beginning to catch up with me."

"Sixty-three isn't old, Gio. Most people nowadays live well into their eighties." And even though Giovanni's dark hair was heavily streaked with silver, Jiraldan still thought him the handsomest man he had ever known. 

"True. But you're also nearly twenty years younger than I am. You'll be around a lot longer than I will. And that's why I want you to promise me that you will help take care of Tessa and Team Rocket after I'm gone."

"Don't talk that way, Gio. You'll be around for a while."

"Unless you've somehow acquired Future Sight, you don't know that, Jiri. And neither do I. That's why I want you to swear to me that you will show Tessa how to run Team Rocket if something happens to me." 

"Gio, you're starting to frighten me."

"Swear to me, Jiri."

The intensity of his partner's gaze sent a chill up Jiraldan's spine. "All right, Gio. I swear it."

Giovanni finished his drink. "Good. Now I'm going to go lie down for a little while. Would you care to join me?"

Jiraldan put down his glass and followed Giovanni upstairs.

"I must be getting old, Jiri," Giovanni sighed as he lay down on the bed he and Jiraldan had shared for so many years. "I'm now getting into the habit of having to take a nap each day."

Jiraldan, who was in the middle of removing his shirt, felt another chill run up his spine. "Are you sure you're all right, Gio?" he asked worriedly. Their conversation from a few minutes earlier was still troubling him.

"Yes, I'm fine," Giovanni said impatiently, yanking loose the knot in his tie and tossing it aside. "It's just that my age is starting to catch up with me."

Jiraldan sat down on the bed and began to undo the buttons of Giovanni's shirt. "Does that bother you, Gio?" 

Giovanni nodded. "Yes. Old age means frailty, frailty means loss of strength, loss of strength means loss of power, and loss of power means loss of control."

"Is that what you're worried about, Gio?" Jiraldan slowly ran his fingers through his beloved's hair, tracing out the few remaining streaks of black among the gray. 

Giovanni closed his eyes and relaxed at his lover's touch. "Ah, Jiri…you're the only person I can confess my hopes and my fears to. You're the only person I can trust with the secrets of my heart, _caro mio_."

"You are my heart, Gio," Jiraldan said softly as he kissed his lover's forehead and proceeded to finish unbuttoning Giovanni's shirt. "There, Gio, now you're…" 

Giovanni opened an eye and saw his lover staring at him with a shocked expression on his face. "What's wrong, Jiri?" 

"Gio…when did you lose so much weight?" He ran a hand along the prominent ribs. 

"I told you that month at the spa in Olezza did wonders for me," Giovanni smiled with satisfaction. "And I have you to thank for suggesting that I go there."

"Yes, but the only reason I suggested that you go was because you were working too hard, Gio. I never said that you needed to lose any weight." Jiraldan continued to trace out each individual rib with his fingertips. "You're much too thin." 

"Nonsense. I think I look better minus a few pounds." Giovanni winced as his lover's fingers touched a tender spot under his ribcage. "Watch it, Jiri. Not so hard. I know you're eager since we haven't seen each other in over a month, but try to control yourself."

"I wasn't being too rough, Gio," Jiraldan replied, his face pale. "There's something here, Gio. It's like a swelling of some sort."

"Well, whatever it is, stop touching it, Jiri," Giovanni said irritably. He pushed his lover's hand towards his pants. "I'd rather you start touching me there."

But the younger man's attention was riveted to the lump that was plainly visible under his lover's ribcage. "Gio, maybe you should see a doctor about that."

"Stop talking, Jiri. We don't have all day." He grabbed Jiraldan's hand and firmly planted it between his legs. "I thought this was why you came up here with me."

Jiraldan began to undo Giovanni's pants. "It is, but…"

"But what?"

His attention was still focused on the disturbing swelling in Giovanni's upper abdomen. "Gio, I think you need to see a doctor. I'm worried about you."

"Jiri, I'm getting bored with your talk about doctors. Enough talking." Before Jiraldan could react, Giovanni seized his arm, pulled him down atop him, and kissed him passionately.

Giovanni immediately fell asleep after their lovemaking, which also disturbed Jiraldan. Usually they would have a drink afterwards and savor the moment, but as soon as Jiraldan reached for the bottle of brandy that was sitting on the table next to the bed, Giovanni rolled over, closed his eyes, and was snoring softly within a minute. 

Jiri lay with his head resting atop Giovanni's chest, listening to the slow, steady beat of his lover's heart.

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Oh, Gio…you are my heart. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you.

He lightly touched the lump under Giovanni's ribs once more. Even though he was asleep, Giovanni flinched, filling Jiraldan with a sense of dread.

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Oh Gio…please let it be nothing. I can't even bear the thought of losing you.

But in his heart, Jiraldan knew that something was wrong with Giovanni…very wrong. And their conversation earlier had done nothing to alleviate his fears. Giovanni had never spoken about his death before. 

Jiraldan closed his eyes and clung fiercely to the man he loved – the man who had been the center of his life for nearly twenty years. 

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I won't let you leave me, caro mio. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Have you seen a doctor yet, Giovanni?"

Jiraldan ducked as a pen went flying in his direction.

"Damn it, Jiri, will you stop nagging me about that?" Giovanni shouted angrily. "I have enough problems with this Celebi business without you asking me every five minutes if I've been to the doctor!"

"Sorry, Gio," Jiraldan apologized, handing Giovanni back his pen. "It's just that I'm worried about you."

Giovanni glared at his lover and snatched the pen out of his hand. "I have more than enough to worry about right now, Jiri. Going to the doctor is the least of them."

"What's wrong, Gio?"

Giovanni sighed and sat back down at his desk. "Our operatives in South America have reported that there is an entire colony of Celebi deep in one of the jungles in Brazil. But the problem is that in order to capture them, we need to devise some way to prevent their ability to time shift. So far, our Rocket scientists have come up with nothing. Incompetent fools…I should fire all of them."

"Celebi…isn't that some sort of legendary Pokémon?" Jiraldan poured himself a scotch from the crystal decanter sitting on Giovanni's desk and handed his partner one. 

"So?" Giovanni snapped, grabbing the glass from his partner and downing it in one gulp.

A plan began forming in Jiraldan's mind. "Actually, Gio, there is someone who may be able to help us with the Celebi." 

"There is? Who?" Giovanni looked up in surprise.

"I'll tell you on one condition," Jiraldan continued as he calmly sipped his drink.

"Damn it, Jiri, stop playing games with me! Who is it?" Giovanni demanded.

"If you agree to go see a doctor, I'll help you get the Celebi," Jiraldan smiled triumphantly. "But if you don't, then not only will I _not_ tell you who can help us, but I will cut off the funding necessary to continue the expedition."

Giovanni's expression was murderous. "Jiri, you son of a bitch, you wouldn't dare cut off the funding for this expedition when we're so close to having an entire army of time-shifting Pokémon at our command!"

"I can and I will, Gio. I've been around you long enough to know how to play your games, too. And this time, I'm not going to let you have your way. Either go see a doctor, or kiss the Celebi goodbye."

"You conniving bastard!" Jiraldan was ready and caught the empty glass as Giovanni flung it at his head. 

"Your aim is off, Gio," Jiraldan smiled as he placed the glass back on the silver tray on Giovanni's desk. "What's wrong? Getting too old for your temper tantrums?"

A livid Giovanni let loose with a string of epithets, both English and Italian, then leapt up from his desk, intending to seize his partner by the throat.

"No, you don't, Gio!" In a lightning movement, Jiraldan grabbed his partner's wrists. "I'm not going to let you have your way. Not this time!"

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Giovanni spat as he struggled in his partner's grip.

"What's wrong, Gio? I thought you liked not being in control, _caro mio_," Jiraldan taunted. "You always said that the reason you prefer men is because they're harder to dominate…more challenging. Well, I'm not going to let you dominate me this time."

Giovanni's face with crimson with rage. "You fuc…"

"Temper, temper, Gio." Jiraldan tightened his grip on his partner's wrists. "Now you're going to listen to me and do exactly what I say. First, you're going to swear to me that you will see a doctor about that lump. Today, preferably."

"Why the hell do you care about that?" Giovanni said through clenched teeth.

"Because, Gio, I care about you. And that is what this is all about. You are too important to me. The last thing in the world I want is to lose you, so I'm going to force you to see a doctor whether you like it or not."

Giovanni snorted. "Is that what this is all about, Jiri? You're going to cut off the funding for the Celebi expedition because I refuse to see a doctor? You're mad."

"Maybe, but that's the deal. No doctor, no money, no name of the person who can help us get those Celebi. What will it be?" 

The two men stared each other down for a moment, then Giovanni's jaw slowly began to unclench. "All right, Jiri. I swear to you that I will make an appointment with my personal physician today."

Jiraldan loosened his grip on his partner's wrists. "Since you're a man of your word, I believe you."

"Damn it, Jiri." Giovanni rubbed his bruised wrists. "It feels like you've broken something."

"Sorry, Gio. I didn't mean to be so rough. It's just that this is too important to me. _You're_ too important to me. And I'm going to do whatever I can to help you."

"You have a strange way of expressing your love, Jiri." Giovanni shook his wrists to try to get the blood flowing again. "But you are passionate, nevertheless."

Regret filled Jiraldan's heart as he saw the rapidly darkening bruises on his lover's wrists. "Did I hurt you, Gio?" 

"I'm getting too old for these wrestling matches of ours, Jiri," Giovanni said tiredly as he sat back down at his desk. With trembling hands, he poured himself another drink. "Sometimes I wonder how much longer I'll be able to run Team Rocket. Lately it seems as if my strength is fading."

Jiraldan's stomach contracted into a tight ball. "Gio, that is exactly why you need to go see your doctor." 

Defeated, Giovanni took the cell phone his partner had just handed him and dialed the number of his personal physician.

"All right, I have an appointment for four o'clock this afternoon. Satisfied?" Giovanni handed the phone back to his partner. "Now you keep your end of the bargain. Who is the person you have in mind for helping us get those Celebi?"

"My brother, Professor Spencer Hale, is an authority on legendary Pokémon. I may be able to convince him to help provide us with the information to help us capture the Celebi."

Giovanni raised a surprised eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a brother, Jiri."

"We haven't spoken in years. We both share an interest in legendary Pokémon, but I prefer to collect them instead of studying them like my brother."

"What makes you think that he'll help us?"

"He's fallen on hard times recently since his wife and daughter left him. And the payments on that mansion of his in Greenfield must be enormous." Jiraldan smiled craftily. "Being the good brother that I am, I'll be willing to help him make those payments in exchange for his assistance in capturing those Celebi."

Giovanni grinned and poured his partner a drink. "You're a man after my own heart, Jiri."

"You are my heart, Gio," Jiraldan said, raising his glass in a toast. 

Giovanni smiled and the two clinked glasses. 

---

Jiraldan spent the rest of the day making arrangements to visit his brother and formatting a plan to persuade him to help capture the Celebi. When the clock chimed six, he headed down to Giovanni's office to see if he had returned from the doctor and ask what he wanted the chef to prepare for dinner.

"Gio?"

When there was no reply, Jiraldan stuck his head further inside his partner's office and gasped. Papers were strewn all over the floor, books had been ripped from their bookshelves and were lying on the floor among the papers, and Jiraldan saw a hole in the wall where the paperweight that normally sat on Giovanni's desk had been thrown against it. Lying drunk amid the papers scattered on his desk was Giovanni.

"Hello, _caro mio_," Giovanni slurred as he looked up. "Care to join me in a drink? This is my fourth one since I got back."

Jiraldan's heart began to race. Giovanni wouldn't be this drunk unless something was wrong…very wrong.

"Gio, what did the doctor say?" 

"You're looking at a dying man, Jiri," Giovanni announced casually as he made an attempt to pour himself a drink and ended up spilling half of it on his desk.

Jiraldan felt as if he had just been plunged into ice-cold water. "Dying?"

"I have cancer, Jiri. The doctor says that with treatment, I might live for a few more months -- maybe a year if all goes well." Giovanni sipped at the few drops that he had managed to pour into his glass. "Anyway, I figure that it doesn't matter now if I get dead drunk. Might as well die doing something I enjoy. Are you sure you don't want a drink, _caro mio_?" 

Jiraldan sank down into the leather chair in front of his partner's desk since his legs were trembling so much that they couldn't support him anymore. 

"You'd better have a drink too, Jiri." Giovanni shoved his glass in his partner's direction. "You look worse than I do."

Jiraldan stared at the empty glass Giovanni had just handed him. 

__

Dying…oh, Gio…you can't be dying. 

But it all made sense now. The lump, the weight loss, the fading strength. Cancer. 

"Oh well…at least I've got a little time left to show Tessa how to run things," Giovanni continued. "You'll help me, won't you, _caro mio_?" 

"Oh, Gio." Jiraldan reached for Giovanni's hand and gripped it tightly. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"You're adorable, Jiri, you know that?" Giovanni smiled crookedly. "Let's go to bed. I might be dying, but I'm not dead yet." Giovanni made an attempt to stand up, but stumbled as his legs refused to support him. Jiraldan jumped up from his chair and grabbed him before he hit the floor. 

"I've got you, Gio." Jiraldan wrapped his arms protectively around his lover. "And I promise that I won't let you go. I won't give up on you."

"Thank you, Jiri." Giovanni, overcome with emotion, began to cry. "Thank you…for everything."

Near tears himself, Jiraldan carried the weeping Giovanni upstairs to their bedroom and put him to bed. 

"There, _caro mio_," Jiraldan whispered as he tucked the sheets around Giovanni's chin. "Rest now. I promise that I'll watch over you and keep you safe from harm."

Giovanni smiled sleepily and closed his eyes. Once he was certain that Giovanni was asleep, Jiraldan undressed and slipped underneath the sheets beside him. Jiraldan tenderly wrapped his arms around his lover and then proceeded to cry himself to sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

After receiving his diagnosis, Giovanni decided to use what remaining time he had left to focus his efforts on preparing his eldest daughter Tessa for her imminent ascension to the leadership of Team Rocket. Since the cancer treatments had left him too weak to travel, Giovanni had surrendered the overseas operations of the Rocket organization to Jiraldan, which meant that Jiraldan now spent much of his time away from Viridian City and his dying lover. Jiraldan clung to the faint hope that the treatments would work and Giovanni would recover, but every time he returned from one of his now-frequent trips, it always seemed as if Giovanni's condition had worsened in his absence. It wasn't until he had returned from a month-long trip to South America to help capture the Celebi colony and discovered that his partner was now bedridden that Jiraldan began to accept the inevitable certainty that Giovanni was going to die. It was then that Giovanni had surprised him by announcing that he was leaving him one-quarter of his estate. And it was then that Giovanni had made another surprising request.

"Jiri, I want you to go to Italy for me."

"Italy? Why?"

"Jiri, I want you to buy me a bust made of the finest Italian marble for my tomb. I have a cousin in Napoli who owns a quarry…he can help you. I'll give you the inscription that I want carved on it."

Jiri's heart leapt into his throat at Giovanni's mentioning his imminent mortality. "Your tomb? Gio, you mustn't talk about…"

"Dying? How come I can accept it and you can't, Jiri?" 

Jiraldan reached for his lover's hand and was shocked at how prominent the bones were in it. "Gio, I don't want you to die."

"Well, I'm going to die…and fairly soon, so the sooner you get used to the idea, the better. Anyway, when you're in Italy, I also want you to pick out my casket. I know that you have excellent taste and won't disappoint me." 

Jiraldan opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it once Giovanni gave him a "don't argue with me, just do it" look.

"And while you're over there, see if you can find a decent suit to bury me in. Since I've lost so much weight recently, none of my suits fit now."

"Anything else, Gio?"

Giovanni didn't answer. The effort of staying awake long enough to communicate his final wishes to Jiraldan had exhausted him so much that he had fallen asleep sitting up.

Choking back tears, Jiraldan lifted his lover's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Slowly, he rose from his chair, turned out the light, and let Giovanni sleep.

--- 

It was while he was in Italy that Jiraldan received an urgent summons to return to Viridian City immediately. 

"How is he, Tessa?" Jiraldan gasped as he got off the hospital elevator. 

"Not good, Jiri," replied Giovanni's eldest daughter, a beautiful dark-haired woman in her mid-twenties who bore an uncanny resemblance to her father. "Madeline and Rhiannon are at Papa's side now." (Madeline and Rhiannon were Tessa's younger half-sisters, each one the daughter of a different mistress.)

"How are you doing, Tessa?" asked Jiraldan as he followed her down the hallway to Giovanni's room.

"All right. I promised Papa that I would be a strong leader, and I am going to stay strong for him. He took care of me after my mother died, so I owe it to him." Tessa opened the door and the two young women, both dark-haired and in their early twenties, sitting at Giovanni's bedside looked up.

"Maddie, Rhi…Jiri's here. Let's give him some time alone with Papa." Tessa knew of her father's special relationship with Jiraldan. "Besides, I need to call Cassie and let her know what's going on." 

As the three young women left the room, Jiraldan approached Giovanni's bedside and was shocked at how frail the older man looked. Giovanni was only sixty-four, but he looked at least twenty years older in his condition.

"Gio? _Caro mio_, I'm here."

Giovanni slowly opened his eyes. Even though the haze of pain medicine, he was still lucid enough to know that only one person in the world who called him _caro mio_. "Jiri?" he whispered.

"Yes, Gio. I'm here." Jiraldan gently took Giovanni's hand, which now was nothing but skin and bones. 

"Did you get what I asked for in Italy?" Giovanni whispered hoarsely.

"Yes. I brought the suit back with me. It's black – your favorite color. The bust is still being carved, though. Your cousin said that it would be a couple of weeks."

Giovanni smiled regretfully. "Ah well, I wished I could've seen it. What about the casket?"

Jiri choked back tears. Purchasing the casket for the man he loved had been the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, and he had broken down crying in the shop where he had ordered it. "I brought it back with me, too. You should see it, Gio. It's a work of art in itself. Rich mahogany with deep claret velvet."

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Jiri. But then again, you never have. You have always served me well…both as a business partner and as a friend."

"I'm honored to have been your partner, Giovanni." Jiraldan said in a choked voice.

"_Non ti scordar di me, caro mio_," Giovanni whispered faintly as he closed his eyes.

"I'll never forget you, Gio," Jiraldan whispered back as he kissed the man he loved for the last time. 

---

"No, Cass, I don't know how long…oh, wait. Jiraldan's coming this way." Tessa put down her cell phone and looked up at her friend's tear-stained face. "Jiri?"

Jiraldan was surprised to see that the waiting room was rapidly filling up with Team Rocket executives, grunts, and scientists. News of Giovanni's deteriorating condition had spread quickly throughout the organization and everyone was waiting for the latest news.

Everyone in the waiting room watched intently as Jiraldan slowly approached Giovanni's eldest daughter, lifted her palm, and placed the object clutched inside in his fist in it. Tessa's lip began to tremble when she saw that it was the solid gold Earth Badge that had been her father's.

"I promised your father that I would give my support to the new leader of Team Rocket upon his death," Jiraldan said in a trembling voice as his red-rimmed eyes met hers. "So may I be the first to pledge my loyalty to you…Madam Boss."


	5. Chapter 5

And after the funeral, Jiraldan kept his word, guiding the new head of Team Rocket. He threw himself wholeheartedly into the task, not only because he had made a vow to Giovanni to help Tessa, but also because doing so lessened his grief over Giovanni's death. After twenty years together, his heart and soul had been intertwined with Giovanni's and the loss was difficult to bear. At first, Jiraldan wondered if he would be able to cope with having a constant reminder of his lost love around, but surprisingly, having Tessa around lessened his grief. Sometimes Jiraldan would catch a glimpse of Giovanni in the way Tessa drummed her fingers impatiently on the desk that had once been her father's or the way her eyes flashed with dark fire when she was getting ready to reprimand an errant Rocket. And Tessa did resemble her father more so than her half-sisters did. Sometimes Jiraldan would catch himself staring at her and swear that she was Giovanni reincarnate.

One morning, Jiraldan entered Tessa's office and found her pouring herself a drink from the crystal decanter that still sat in its usual place on what had been Giovanni's desk.

"Good morning, Jiri. Sit down and have a drink." She held out a glass of scotch – the drink that had also been her father's favorite.

Jiri smiled as he took the glass from her. Tessa was so much like her father that it never ceased to amaze him. "Why did you want to see me, Tessa? Did you want to discuss the emerald-eyed Dragonair the Team Rocket operatives captured in the Orange Islands?"

"No, Jiri, although if you want it for your collection, it's yours. The reason I wanted to talk to you was because I want to ask you a favor."

"Anything, Tessa. Name it."

"Jiri, Cassie and I are planning to have a child together."

"You are? Congratulations, Tessa." His expression saddened. "I just wish that Gio had been here to see his first grandchild."

Tessa's smile became wistful. "So do I, Jiri. Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you is because Cassie and I would like you to be the donor."

"Donor?"

"Yes, Jiri. I want you to father our child." 

Shocked by Tessa's proposal, the glass slipped out of Jiraldan's fingers and tumbled to the floor. "Tessa…I…I don't know what to say."

"Jiri, you were Papa's closest companion. He trusted you implicitly, as do I. I can think of no one more suitable to father the next leader of Team Rocket." Tessa mistook his silence for reticence. "Don't worry, Jiri. You won't have to sleep with me - I know that's not your preference. We can have everything taken care of at the doctor's office."

"Sleep with…? Tessa, _you're_ going to carry the baby?"

"Yes, Jiri. Why are you so surprised?"

"It's just that you're so busy with the affairs of Team Rocket that I assumed that Cassie would bear the child."

"No. Cassie and I agreed that she can have the next baby and any babies after that, but the heir of Team Rocket must have Peccati blood. It was important to my father and it's important to me. Besides, I can still run Team Rocket as long as you're here by my side. Being pregnant didn't stop my grandmother when she was Madam Boss, so I'm not going to let it stop me. So…what do you think about my proposal, Jiri?"

After the initial shock had worn off, Jiraldan began to realize the true meaning of Tessa's words.

__

Oh, Gio…you and I will be united forever in a child. The child who will be the next leader of Team Rocket. What we couldn't have together I will have through your daughter.

"I take it from your smile that you're pleased by my proposal."

"I'm honored, Tessa. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to father Giovanni's grandchild – the next leader of Team Rocket."

"Good. Then I'll make the appointment with the doctor and…"

"Tessa, you don't have to do that."

Tessa gave her partner a puzzled look. "What do you mean, Jiri?"

As Tessa's dark eyes met his, Jiraldan swore for an instant that he saw Giovanni staring back at him. And his heart leapt at the thought. "Tessa, I will sleep with you, if that's what you want."

Tessa's eyes widened in surprise. "Jiri, I know that you're not the type who prefers women. I appreciate the offer, but I like you too much to make you have to go through..."

"No, Tessa. I want to do this. The thought of Giovanni's grandchild being conceived in some laboratory just… No. Giovanni's grandchild must be conceived here, among the things that meant the most to him."

"I certainly didn't expect this reaction from you, Jiri. Now I understand why you and Papa were so close. You loved him as much, if not more, than I did."

"Yes, Tessa. I did. Your father and I were partners in every sense of the word."

"I know you were, Jiri." Tessa smiled at Jiraldan's surprised expression. "Yes, Jiri. I know that you and Papa were lovers. But Papa also slept with women, too. Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here. And I've slept with men before, so sleeping with you won't be too traumatic for me. But have you ever slept with a woman, Jiri?"

"Once, when I was in high school. But that was before I knew that I preferred men."

"Well, at least you'll know what to do, then." Tessa held out her hand. "Then we have a deal?"

Jiri took Tessa's hand and to her surprise, kissed it. "Yes, Tessa. We do."

"Good. I'll get with my doctor and figure out when would be the best time to conceive, then I'll let you know. We can schedule a 'meeting' then."

It was just like Tessa to be so businesslike as to refer to making a baby as having a 'meeting'. 

__

And Giovanni would've done the same thing, Jiri smiled.

The "meeting" took place late the following week. Once Tessa had let him know exactly when it would take place, Jiraldan had gone straight to work. Everything was going to be perfect for their union – the union that would, hopefully, result in the next Peccati heir. Jiraldan had insisted that they use the bedroom that he and Giovanni had shared for many years. He had even gone so far to have the bed made with the deep green silk sheets that had been Giovanni's favorite. 

__

Ah, Gio…it's just like how it used to be, sighed Jiraldan wistfully as he poured himself a glass of wine and ran his hand over the elaborate brocade bedspread. _Your grandchild will be conceived among the things that meant the most to you. _

A rattling at the door interrupted his reminiscence. Tessa, looking harried, burst into the room and began pulling off her shoes. "Sorry I'm late, Jiri. The meeting with the Rocket Executives took longer than I thought. Stupid imbeciles…I should fire all of them." She yanked off a pump and threw it across the room.

__

Gio's temper, too, Jiri thought with a smile. "Tessa, why don't you calm down and have some wine?" Jiraldan poured her a glass of Giovanni's favorite vintage and offered it to her.

Tessa glanced in his direction while trying to undo her skirt. "That's all right, Jiri, but I…" She did a double take and looked at her partner once more. Jiraldan was wearing a deep green silk robe embossed with the Rocket insignia. "Oh…you're already…where did you get that?"

"Your father gave it to me." He handed her the glass of wine. "Sit, Tessa. Relax. A glass of fine wine always did wonders for your father. And I want this to be as pleasurable as possible for the both of us."

Tessa raised an eyebrow and took a sip. "You don't have to get me drunk to do this, Jiri. But if that's your intention, you certainly picked an excellent wine with which to do so." After another sip, she put the glass on the bedside table and finished pulling off her skirt and stockings. "That's better. I can't see how my grandmother was able to stand wearing suits every day." Jiraldan watched with interest as Tessa then proceeded to undo her blouse. 

"Don't tell me this is turning you on, Jiri," Tessa smiled with amusement as she tossed aside her red silk blouse to reveal a black lace bra. "Are you sure you're not bisexual?" 

But Jiraldan, much to his surprise, was becoming aroused. Not because that Tessa was a beautiful woman, but because she looked so much like her father physically – tall, broad shouldered, yet narrow in the waist and hips, muscular legs. Except for the breasts and an overall feminine softness, Tessa was her father reincarnate. And the resemblance was so uncanny that just looking at her like this had stirred up passions that he thought had died with Giovanni. 

"So what do you think, Jiri?" Tessa asked once she lay naked against the deep green sheets. "Sorry that I'm not a man, but try to use your imagination. That way, maybe it won't be too awful for the both of us."

But to her surprise, Jiraldan leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. 

"Tessa Peccati, you are beautiful," he murmured. And he meant it with all his heart.

__

Through your daughter, Gio, I shall be with you once more. Our love will live again through her and through the child that will be born of our lovemaking.

And being with her was making love. The love that he had held in his heart for Giovanni would be reborn – innocent, pure, in the form of a child. And at the height of his pleasure, Jiraldan closed his eyes and imagined that he was with Giovanni once more.

__

You and I will be united always, my beloved Gio. You may be gone, but to see you reincarnated in your grandchild - you and I mingled together forever - will be the greatest joy of my life.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Tessa said airily as she got dressed. "Hope I didn't make you suffer too much."

"Tessa, what I felt with you was just the opposite. Thank you," said Jiri, his voice choked with emotion at the thought of just having created a child that was part of Giovanni.

Tessa gave him an incredulous look. "I'm surprised that you enjoyed it so much, Jiri. Maybe you should try women for a change."

Jiraldan shook his head. "You are the only woman that I have ever truly made love to, Tessa."

"Well, don't get too used to it," Tessa said, slipping on her shoes. "Cass will have a fit if she knows she's got competition. Besides, men are fun once in a while, but really all they're good for is making babies. I prefer bedding another woman. It's more satisfying to be with someone of the same sex. You're truly equals – partners in every sense of the word."

Jiraldan gasped. "Tessa, you truly are Giovanni reincarnate."

Tessa smiled – Gio's smile. "Thanks, Jiri. I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "And thanks for everything, Jiri. I'll know in a couple of weeks if we were successful. If not, we'll try again."

And three weeks later, Jiraldan was ecstatic when Tessa announced that their coupling had been successful and she was indeed pregnant.

"Looks like I won't have to put you through the torture of having to have sex with me again, Jiri," she teased as she showed him the doctor's report. 

"It wasn't torture, Tessa. Nothing gave me more pleasure that knowing that I helped create Giovanni's grandchild. Which means that you're going to have to take it easy from now on, Tessa. You must take good care of yourself." He made a move to help her to a nearby chair, but she waved him away irritably. "Nonsense, Jiri. Other than being a little tired, I'm fine. Besides, my grandmother went through four pregnancies when she was Madam Boss, so I think I can handle one."

"You have your grandmother's and your father's spirit," Jiraldan smiled. "I hope that the child inherits that, too."

"I just hope he has your nose, Jiri. I've always hated this Roman nose of mine." She frowned and stretched out her hands. "That and these fingers. I hope he or she has your hands, too." She picked up Jiraldan's right hand and studied it. "You have an artist's hands. Long, tapering fingers."

"That's what Gio used to say. I think that's why I became a collector in the first place. I've always had an appreciation for fine art."

"Which reminds me, Jiri…one of my operatives found the most amazing statue of what appears to be a Suicune the other day and I'm dying for you to see it. Come on."

Jiraldan extended his arm to her. "Even though you say you don't need any help, amuse me by letting me take care of you during your pregnancy. After all, isn't that what partners are for?"

Tessa smiled and took his arm. "All right, Jiri. You win."


	6. Chapter 6

"Tessa?"

The dark-haired woman and the blonde woman sitting beside her smiled as Jiraldan opened the door to the hospital room.

"Jiri, say hello to the future leader of Team Rocket." Cradled in Tessa's arms was a small, dark-haired bundle. "Johnathan Lawrence Peccati."

"John…" Jiraldan's heart melted. "Giovanni."

"Same name, but in an Americanized form," Tessa smiled and ran a fingertip along her son's fist. "And it looks like he got your fingers, Jiri. No luck with the nose, however. I swear, that must be some dominant gene."

"May I hold him, Tessa? Please?"

Tessa smiled. "Of course, Jiri. Here, Cass. Show John the man responsible for him being here in the first place." 

"Just make sure that you support his head," Cassie said as she gently placed the sleeping baby in Jiraldan's arms.

Just as Tessa had said, the Roman nose that accompanied the Peccati name was the first thing he noticed.

__

I don't care what Tessa says, Gio. I think he's the most handsome child in the world because he has your nose, not in spite of it.

The mouth and chin were definitely Tessa's, but the ears looked at a bit like…well, he couldn't say exactly. And Tessa was right -- the baby had long, tapering fingers. An artist's hands.

__

Oh Gio…can you see him? Can you see your grandchild - the child born of our love? Now we are truly united together forever.

The baby yawned and his eyes opened. And Jiraldan gasped when he saw that they were violet like his own. 

"That's exactly what I did when I saw him open his eyes for the first time," Tessa grinned. "I was so sure he was going to have brown eyes."

"That's okay," Cassie winked at her lover, "I'll just tell everyone that he got them from me."

The baby stared intently at the deep violet eyes that were an exact match of his own and then began to whimper.

"I'd better feed him," Tessa said, undoing the buttons of her bed jacket. "Cass, bring him back over here."

As Cassie held out her arms, it was then that Jiraldan realized that even though the baby was his, it wasn't going to be his child to raise. And the thought saddened him…saddened him more than he thought it ever would. He clung to the baby possessively for a moment and then reluctantly gave him to the woman who would raise him.

"Look at him eat, Cass," Tessa smiled as the baby eagerly took her breast and began to nurse. "If he eats like this every time, he's going to be a big, strong guy when he grows up."

__

Just like his grandfather, Jiraldan thought as the two women watched the baby eat. Both Tessa and Cassie were so focused on the baby that Jiraldan realized that they were oblivious to his presence. As far as they were concerned, he wasn't even in the same room with them. Tessa, Cassie, John…they were a family now. And he wasn't a part of it.

__

But I will watch over him, Gio, Jiri swore as he quietly slipped out of the hospital room. _I will make him my heir as well as yours. And I will remain by Tessa's side as her business partner. That way, I can watch our child grow up. _

Our child, Gio. Yours and mine. We are now united as one, forever and always.

THE END


End file.
